The Man Who Knew Too Much
by Mystica83
Summary: Ino should NOT know what Chouji looks like under his clothes... InoChou. A little naughty, a little bloody, so rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I was watching the episode with Shikamaru and Temari's fight in the Chunnin exams, and I hatched this little egg of an idea when Chouji told Ino that she didn't really know Shikamaru the way he did. I came to the realization that Chouji is probably the most perceptive of the three, and it would make sense that he would be able to read his teammates well (hence his ability to be a very loyal friend). This fic is set during Part II/Shipuuden. Have fun!

**--**

**The Man Who Knew Too Much**

Unbeknownst to many (except Chouji), Ino had a slight self-esteem problem.

Nobody would even realize it unless told, and given Ino's extroverted personality, they probably would not believe it, anyway. It took an observant (and good-natured) person, able to see through the aggressive demeanor and haughty vanity, to notice the reason Ino was the way she was in the first place.

Chouji was just such a person. He knew what everybody knew: Ino was a looker, and she was well aware of it. What other people did not know was that, despite her knowledge of this fact, she seemed to need constant reminding of it. She felt that she was the type of woman who deserved to be admired, but did not understand why, nor did she offer any explanation (even to herself).

It may have even been that Ino, for all her confidence, was unaware of the fact that she _required_ others to admire her in order to feel validated. A fact she would have remained ignorant of had Chouji not kindly pointed it out to her one day. She, of course, scoffed at the idea...at first. But then, it began to make sense. When all other kunoichi in Konoha seemed to develop their own skills, their own jutsu, their own _name_, she was just another Yamanaka, a user of mind jutsu, forever under the shadow of Inoichi's masterpiece, the Mind-Transfer Technique.

Ino would be forever grateful to Chouji for that moment of enlightenment. After that day, she began to see herself differently. She realized that she had been striving to excel in order to impress everyone, much in the same way her beauty impressed everyone. But that was not what she truly wanted. What she truly wanted was to be powerful, for reasons that had nothing to do with second-hand validation. She wanted the ability to defend herself, to defend her family, to defend her friends, to defend Konoha, if necessary. She wanted to know that, should her 'special people' (as the late Sandaime used to call them) ever need her, she could deliver.

Soon after that day, Ino's skills began to grow at an alarming rate. With a little help from her boys, she began to develop several jutsu that, when perfected, would rival her father's trademark in both stealth and lethality. She would not simply be Yamanaka the Spy, she would be Ino...the Best. It was a wonderful thing that she would always have Chouji to thank for that realization.

Oddly enough, Chouji was the _only_ person who had the clout to tell Ino that she had low self-esteem in the first place. In spite of her initial disregard for him, Ino's respect for Chouji had grown steadily over the years, as she watched him become a behemoth of a man from the insecure boy he had once been. In addition to advancing in the ways of his family's techniques, Chouji had also learned various new jutsu of different natures, even one genjutsu (used to change little details in your surroundings – very helpful when trying to confuse the enemy), courtesy of Kurenai-sensei.

Her appreciation for him deepened as she watched him watch _her_ become a pillar of strength herself. No one else could field her mood swings and still have the compassion left over to be proud of her. It was Chouji whom she felt sincerely cared about her desire to become a great ninja, earning himself the position of confidante as well as trusted advisor (if Shikamaru had been the one to point out Ino's character flaw to her, she would have tossed the suggestion out like yesterday's trash). Not that Shikamaru didn't care – it was simply that Chouji was always the one going out of his way to help her improve, to tell her that she could do better, to remind her that the limits she thought she had could always be set higher, or that she could even be limitless if she so chose.

It was Chouji who taught her that the most important opinion regarding herself was her own.

--

It was for that reason that she was still on this mission. Ho no Kuni's latest attempt to ally with Kusa no Kuni had gone sour, with no explanation for it. The Land of Grass had recently instated a new daimyo who had expressed his desire to see that his people (mainly his shinobi) were not wasted on the battlefield because of stupid squabbles between countries, and proposed an alliance treaty with the Land of Fire. It was rumored that the real reason behind the desired peace treaty was that Kaminari no Kuni had been particularly hard on the Grass Country that year, and in an effort to keep his shinobi from diminishing, the Grass Country's daimyo sought a treaty with the Land of Lightning's most powerful neighbor. But the Grass Country's daimyo had recently become cool to the idea, despite having been the one to propose it.

Suspicious of foul play, Fire Country's daimyo requested Konohagakure's assistance, and Godaime Hokage sent Ino on a solo mission to infiltrate the Grass Country's royal court. The Fire Country's daimyo had no desire to see his shinobi wasted either (and a stronger offense against the Lighting Country's treacherous ways never hurt), so Ino was in charge of uncovering the reason behind Kusa no Kuni's sudden reluctance to sign the alliance treaty.

As was expected of a Yamanaka, Ino's investigation yielded valuable information. By employing her father's master technique, Ino was able to infiltrate not only the Land of Grass, but Kusagakure itself. She discovered that there was indeed, a snake in the grass (Tsunade-sama giggled at this unintentional pun when Ino presented her report, but to her credit, said nothing). A certain shinobi by the name of Higa Kisho was given the charge of acquiring a position as one of the Grass Country's royal councilors, then making it his job to sabotage the mindset of the council members and keep the daimyo from signing the treaty.

Apparently, Kisho was hand-selected by the Kusakage himself. It seems that the leader of the Hidden Village of Grass did not like the idea of an alliance between the Fire and Grass Countries and was doing his best to keep it from happening. While he was not stupid enough to instigate a war between Ho and Kusa (hence the lack of assassination attempts on the Fire Country's daimyo), Ino's research suggested that the Kusakage resented being dwarfed by his neighbors. He would rather defeat Kumogakure's shinobi without anyone's aid. In conclusion, the Grass Country's daimyo would be disinclined to sign the treaty so long as Kisho remained in the council.

--

After finishing her report, Tsunade-sama stated she had yet to decide how to handle the situation, but promised to keep Ino updated, should she need her services again. With a polite bow, Ino saw herself out. Having seen her walk out of Tsunade-sama's office, Chouji met and congratulated her on the success of her mission, and while she thanked him, Ino took no pride in having recovered such precious data. She did not like the idea of having been type-cast (yet again) into a spy mission. For her, it was a mission unworthy of praise. What she would have preferred was Chouji's congratulations for something like...like...

Like an assassination.

--


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** For those of you who've been keeping up with this story, I'm sure you've noticed a few differences in the story (things like line breaks, etc.). I've taken the liberty of doing a little editing now that I am in the last stages of finishing this tale. Let me know how it's working out for you. Enjoy!

--

**The Man Who Knew Too Much**

For all his well-placed influence, it _always_ came as a shock when Chouji found himself the source of Ino's inspiration. After having congratulated Ino on a job well done, Chouji was given a wide-eyed look as Ino hatched a brainchild soon to be acted upon. Without a word, she turned on her heel and ran straight back to Godaime Hokage's office, where she had just been minutes before. She burst in, followed closely by Chouji who, in his confusion (and slight worry), had followed her, unintentionally getting himself involved in her plan. Ino began by insisting that Tsunade-sama keep her on this particular assignment. She opined that she was the best candidate to complete the mission, having personally observed the ins and outs of the Grass Country. She then proceeded with her idea – and ended up the leader of a two-person cell sent to complete the extraction of Kisho from the council and ensure the signing of the treaty.

The continuation of the mission involved Ino's re-entry into Kusa no Kuni, this time as a member of the daimyo's council. Her partner was Chouji, whom Ino had insisted upon bringing once she realized that she would be less suspicious if she was accompanied by a male suitor. She would be the only female councilor at the Grass daimyo's summit the following week (the older – sexist – councilors there could potentially compromise the mission, so the less conspicuous she could make herself, the better). It would be during said meeting of officials that Kisho's 'extraction' would take place, at the hands of Ino herself. Ino had recently developed a few new jutsus that worked a little differently than her father's, but still involved mind control. Furthermore, since these particular techniques were for killing purposes, she knew that the anonymity available exclusively in her jutsus would allow Fire Country to appear innocent of any involvement in the assassination, and said so in her mission proposal. Having been impressed with her ingenuity, Tsunade allowed her to complete the mission she had started, much to Ino's delight.

A spectator would have assumed that Ino's push to finish this mission was driven by perfectionism – the desire to avoid a blemish on an otherwise perfect resume. But Chouji knew the real reason that Ino wanted to conclude the assignment so badly. Although she had done her best to hide it, he had seen the slight furrowing in her eyebrows when he congratulated her on her previous mission success, and understood that that reaction was not intended for him.

Chouji knew Ino too well – he knew she had resented being pigeon-holed into yet another spy mission and had taken this opportunity to remedy the situation. He knew how important it was to her to be acknowledged as a competent kunoichi, not so much to impress others, but to prove to herself that she really was capable of being able to handle any sort of situation. As such, he did not mention his realization to Ino. She would come to it on her own, and when she did, he would be the first to congratulate her.

--

The summit was held at the Grass daimyo's palace the following week. Ino filed into the conference room, playing the part of one of the Fire Country's councilors that had joined their daimyo for the re-negotiations meeting. Chouji followed closely behind, making sure she sat directly across the table from Kisho, as well as making sure the Fire Country's daimyo sat next to him. The mission's success depended on this seating arrangement. If Ino was to employ her new technique, she really only needed to be in his path, but having him at a close proximity with limited movement was a surefire way of ensuring the mission's success.

"We shall begin this meeting by reviewing the minutes from the last meeting," a tall official from the Grass Country began. Sitting in seiza position, Ino scowled inwardly. The mission could not be completed until after tea was served and during discussions concerning the treaty, which meant that they were going to be there for at least two hours before she could get to work. This was going to be a long afternoon.

--

"But you were the one who suggested it in the first place!" Ho no Kuni's daimyo, Fudo-sama, shouted.

Ino shifted slightly in her position, bringing a little more blood to her long-gone-numb legs. The two countries' daimyo's had been arguing to no end for over an hour, and that was after they had spent three quarters of one going over the minutes. Apparently, falling asleep while sitting up was a regular occurrence at these meetings (as Ino had stated in her mission observations), and there were plenty of councilors that missed a lot of what was going on, hence the need to re-hash information from previous meetings. But since the two daimyo's were content to argue for the better part of two hours, stopping only when they went hoarse and their councilors were all sleeping sitting up, said councilors knew that they never really missed _that_ much.

"That was before I knew of your previous attempts against our shinobi," Kusa no Kuni's daimyo, Senichi-sama, countered.

"They were trying to infiltrate Konohagakure. What do you expect from shinobi trying to protect their village?" asked Fudo-sama, heatedly.

"I expect free passage through Fire Country for our merchant caravans," Senichi-sama haughtily replied.

"How arrogant of you to demand such liberties with a neighboring country!" answered Fudo-sama darkly.

"A country who desires to establish peace with its neighbor should always offer a gift to make up for past grievances," insisted Senichi-sama.

"But you were the one who suggested it in the first place!" shouted Fudo-sama – again.

_Oh cripes_, Ino thought. _Hasn't this point been made seven times already – __**today**__? No wonder the councilors here are getting paid overtime._ She looked around at the councilors. Half were already dozing, and the other half looked incredibly bored. Sitting across from her, Kisho wore the same weary expression, a glazed look in his eyes. Ino knew it was all for show. She was sure that, despite his blasé appearance, he was observing the room with the trained eye of a shinobi, the most alert out of all the councilors present.

That is, except for her.

As the two country leaders kept arguing, Ino waited for the right moment to commence her jutsu. Whatever it would be, it had to look like some form of sabotage on the Grass Country's part, lest she inadvertently start another war. Furthermore, it had to be soon. She could already hear the Fire Country's daimyo's voice take on a gritty sound, which meant that she only had about thirty minutes left at the table. Five of those minutes needed to be reserved for the actual jutsu execution, and another five had to be left over for the aftermath. Since Fudo-sama had already been briefed on the mission basics and was not looking for a fight between nations, he had the responsibility of 'persuading' the Grass' daimyo to sign the treaty after the jutsu was completed.

But the right moment was taking its sweet time to get here, and Ino was getting anxious. Belying her nerves, Ino shot a seemingly half-dozed glance at Kisho, who returned the acknowledgment with a tiny, albeit polite, smile. She watched as he languidly refilled Fudo-sama's water vessel, a red-lacquered cup, then put the carafe down to take a sip out of his own black-lacquered cup.

_That was IT!_

Ino sniffled, a signal to Chouji that she was about to begin.

-- 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Kisho means 'one who knows his own mind.' Also, I've tapped into my bio major for this story – hope you like it!

--

**The Man Who Knew Too Much**

Ino had once thought that, for all the mind-jutsu that her family seemed to specialize in, they had only given minimal notice to the rest of the nervous system in the human body. It was here that Ino began to differentiate her skills from that of her family's. She went to Sakura, seeking medical books from Tsunade-sama's private library, and studied them with fervor. It was in those books that she learned that the nervous system operated on a combination of neurochemicals and electricity. Furthermore, she discovered that she was not limited to the Central Nervous System – a.k.a. the brain. Nerves extending out into the rest of the body functioned on the same chemical and electrical impulses. It was here that she realized that, using the Peripheral Nervous System, she could break into the rest of the body.

In many deadly ways.

As an added bonus, she discovered that attacking the PNS came with an interesting side effect: she remained conscious. Because she was not attacking the entire brain at once, she no longer had to worry about falling prey to another's jutsu's while she was executing her own, as she could see (and react) to what was going on about her. It came as a relief to learn that she was no longer subject to the inky blackness of her victims' mind. Rather, their mind (and consequently, their body) opened up to her like a filing cabinet, each section responsible for a different extremity, organ, process, or reflex. When she began to hone this new skill, she had asked Chouji to pose as lab rat for her first test-run. She ended up overstimulating the nerves that led to his large intestine, occasioning for him a case of the trots that lasted the rest of the week. While it had only been a trial to determine what was possible (a rather funny trial), Ino knew that it was only a small sample of how much power she wielded over another person.

It was a rather exhilarating feeling to know she was going for the kill this time.

--

Appearing to fold her hands on the table, Ino formed the seals and cast what she called her 'Mind-Ghost Technique.' She called it this because that's what she felt like: a silent killer, ghosting in another's nervous system, ready to tell the body to die.

_Let's see how well you know your own mind, Kisho,_ Ino thought viciously.

She began by turning off the chemoreceptors in his body, both the carotid and aortic bodies as well as the ones in the medulla oblongata. _That way, your body can't tell it's carbon dioxide levels are too high_, she thought.

Next, she occasioned Ondine's Curse, a condition that, due to the separation of certain neurological pathways, abolishes the automatic (but not voluntary) control of breathing. _Now, you have to remind yourself to breathe – but you won't know why_, Ino thought.

Kisho had to keep up appearances, so he remained looking slightly bored, but Ino could see concern begin to cloud his eyes. She continued, shutting down the apneustic and pneumotaxic centers in the pons region.

_Your body just forgot how to inhale and exhale,_ Ino noticed. But before he noticed as well, she had already moved on to the last part – shutting down the breathing centers in the cerebral cortex that were responsible for voluntary breathing, so that he no longer knew that there was such a thing as taking a breath.

The killing stroke. _And the best part is, you don't even know you're dying_, Ino thought with satisfaction.

Amidst the hoarse shouts of the daimyos, Ino watched as the man in front of her slowly turned an ugly shade of blue without his notice. Just when it seemed that neither Fudo nor Senichi-sama could go on, Kisho slumped forward, his head slamming into the table, rattling the drinking vessels. Silence reigned.

Ino motioned a hand signal under the table for Chouji to cast the genjutsu Kurenai-sensei had taught him, and make it look like the red cup had been the one closest to Kisho. Senichi-sama sighed, under the impression that one of his councilors had finally had enough and fell out of seiza position due to boredom. That is, until someone tried to wake him.

When Kisho was discovered dead, after the initial screams of shock, the first question asked was "what happened?" Being the one that sat directly across from him, Ino volunteered her information.

"I saw him take a sip of water," Ino said, innocently. "Then, he just...died."

"You saw him take a sip out of his cup?" Senichi-sama asked.

"Yes – the red one," Ino answered. All eyes around the table widened incredulously.

"Senichi-sama, what is the meaning of this?" Fudo-sama asked, icily.

Everyone knew that the only two red-lacquered cups at the table were reserved for the guests of highest honor there. Fudo-sama began to rage, stating that Kisho was poisoned, and insisting that the poisoned cup was meant for_ him_.

"Fudo-sama, we cannot know that he was indeed poisoned," Senichi-sama pleaded with the furious daimyo. "Let us send a sample of the water for analysis."

"I'll not trust your corrupt ways. You've already invited me here under false pretenses, insulted my honor and tried to wheedle your way across my country," Fudo-sama fumed. "I demand satisfaction at once!"

Senichi-sama looked extremely nervous. While he was genuinely ignorant of what had occurred, he could not let Fudo-sama continue to threaten him. With nothing left to offer (or threaten back with), he suggested signing the alliance treaty with no further ado.

Being that this was the reaction he was looking for, the Fire Country's daimyo uttered a single response. "Done," he said.

Mission accomplished.

--

"Congratulations on a successful mission, Ino," Chouji beamed.

Ino smiled, a slight blush rising in her cheeks. For the first time, she was proud of herself in a way she had never felt before, and was pleased that Chouji was the first to see it. Now _this _was the congratulations she had been waiting for.

"There's a very proud sensei somewhere," he went on.

Ino could not help but feel a gentle twang of sadness. How she would have loved to have seen Asuma's face as she regaled him with the details of her first S-rank mission. She knew Chouji was right – Asuma _would_ have been proud.

"And there's an extremely proud friend right here," Chouji threw a muscular arm around her shoulders, giving her a hearty but gentle squeeze of affection.

Ino looked up, expecting nothing more than to return a genuinely happy smile. What she did not expect to see was a...gleam...in Chouji's eyes. Something that spoke of pride and – something else she could not identify – exclusively for her, as if Chouji knew _something_ that made him extra proud of her that day.

Seeing as how the Fire Country's daimyo had traveled with his usual Chuunin escort, Ino and Chouji were released from duty a few day's before Fudo-sama's departure from the Grass Country. As such, Chouji suggested a celebratory repose on the journey back to Konoha, in one of Ho no Kuni's most luxurious ryokan, famous for its on-site onsen. Ino was flattered at his offer, and more than happy to take it. She squealed joyously, accepting his offer with a bear hug and looking up at him with a huge grin on her face. He returned the smile, and Ino noticed that the gleam in his eye was still there. Just for her.

She wondered about it all the way to the hot springs resort.

-- 


	4. Chapter 4

**--**

**The Man Who Knew Too Much**

It was strange to think that, in all the time Ino had known Chouji to be proud of her, to help her advance as a ninja, she had never thought to inquire why. Why would anyone go out of their way to help her improve as a kunoichi, just for her sake, with no benefit to himself? It was not just a question of teamwork...Chouji was there for a _reason_. She was still pondering this on her way to the baths when she realized that she was so lost in her thoughts, she had accidentally walked under the violet door flags and into the men's baths instead of the women's.

_Funny, I could have sworn I'd walked towards the scarlet flags the whole time, _Ino thought. No matter. It was late at night and there was hardly anyone at the ryokan, so her little mistake would be seen by no one...

...except for her.

Not that she was trying to be nosy, but her eyes involuntarily wandered towards the bath, inquiring as to the identity of the lone patron sitting in the onsen at the moment, even as her body turned to go. She stopped just outside the flags, one eye still turned towards the stranger in the hot spring. She knew she should not be doing this, but she could not help herself. Besides, the man was facing away from the doorway (and her), so what harm would a little glance do?

The stranger had an incredibly muscular back, one that Ino knew would feel good under her hands if she were ever to caress it. She smiled, a little embarrassed that she was peeping like this, but there was just something about the torso of a man that had always attracted Ino. She liked to think that a man's strength was in direct proportion to his stature, and well-built men allured her. She noticed how his arms were muscular, his hands large and capable-looking (_capable of what?_ she wondered mischievously). He moved his brown hair off his forehead, and Ino noticed how the striated muscle underneath his arms pulled taut under his skin, speaking volumes of the man's power.

As he sat up a little straighter, she caught a glimpse of his lower torso and was surprised to see that the man was portly. Ino paused to consider this; although she usually found a wide girth unattractive in a man, this particular man bore it well. She surprised herself, realizing that she might like to know what it was like to be held by him, to feel the pulsating strength of his arms under her fingertips as he caught her in a great bear hug. She wondered if his hands, for all their might, would be gentle when he caressed her face as she looked into his eyes and, with her fingers, traced the spirals on his cheeks...

Wait..._spirals?_

Ino had not noticed when the man began to lift himself out of the onsen, turning towards her as he did so, giving her a full view of his face. Almost too late to go unseen, Ino whirled around and ducked into the women's bathing area, ashamed at herself for having looked at Chouji as if he were nothing but an object. How rude. Such a disrespectful thing to do to her own friend. How could she possibly even think of her own dear, sweet Chouji in such a...sensual...way?

Well, how could she?

Ino paused, one foot in the onsen. She had never considered either of her teammates carnally before. They were her partners – her brothers. It would have been weird. If she had known that it was Chouji in the bath, she would have never helped herself to a little 'view.' Ino breathed a little easier at this thought, continuing to lower herself into the onsen. She figured that this was all a mistake, that a woman's biological response to seeing a man shirtless was the explanation for the intense blush she was experiencing. She sighed, knowing that this little incident would soon be laughed off.

But as the minutes ticked by and the laughter did not come, she wondered why she was so bothered by it. _ How can a simple case of mistaken identity perturb me so much?_ Ino meditated. _It can't be just because I haven't gotten any lately._ Ino had kicked her last boyfriend to the curb for being a jerk over two months ago, so as far as sexual appetite was concerned, she was still good to go for at least another three (going six months – or more – without made her a little anxious). _Because if it hadn't been Chouji I wouldn't have reacted – _

Ino stopped herself short of finishing that thought, appalled at what she knew would complete the sentence forming in her mind. _That's it_, she realized. That was the reason that this little misunderstanding had bothered her so much. _ I was __aroused__ by the sight of __**Chouji**_. Ino did not know what to think, and preferred to leave her mind a total blank for the time being. She stayed in the bath long enough to know that Chouji had gone to bed, so as not to meet his eyes upon entering the room they were sharing.

The onsen did nothing to ease the blush that refused to leave her cheeks.

--


	5. Chapter 5

--

**The Man Who Knew Too Much**

_Walking back into her room from the onsen, Ino contemplated the fact that she would have to walk back to Konoha with Chouji all day tomorrow. She sighed, wondering if she would be able to meet Chouji's eyes without blushing, seemingly innocent of ever having sneaked a peek at him. More importantly, she wondered why she was thinking about his attractiveness _now_, after years of not having noticed it before. Unsure of where her thoughts would lead her, she decided to sleep on it, and let the answer present itself in the morning. Having traded in her damp yukata for a dry one, Ino lay on her shiki futon, unable to fall asleep. She was content simply to stare at Chouji while he slept on the futon next to her, but started when Chouji's eyes fluttered open and returned her stare with the same intensity. _

_Wordlessly, he leaned over and caressed her face. She opened her mouth to issue an apology (for what, she was not entirely sure, but previous events had made her feel guilty about anything and everything), but was never able to get around to it. Chouji had followed his momentum and softly pressed his lips against her surprised ones. Ino's first reaction was one of shock and an inability to move, but not for the reasons she thought. She was startled to discover that she was _enjoying _the feel of Chouji's mouth on hers, and in an act of curiosity and (dare she think it?) arousal, she deepened the kiss. Chouji interpreted this as permission to continue – and continue he did._

_Placing his other hand gently on her hip, Chouji eased over onto her futon, his lips never leaving hers. While she enjoyed his kisses, Ino's hands began to play, exploring the body she had so longed to know. She ran her fingers over the barrel of a chest he had, marveling at how perfect the muscles felt under a soft layer of skin. Large and powerful as he was, Ino had the impression Chouji had been carved out of marble. Her fingertips continued to roam, caressing his back, smiling at the fact that it did indeed feel good under her hands. She continued further, not only feeling with her hands, but with her body, pressing herself against him. Her eyes shut harder as she realized that Chouji had a very gentle touch – and knew how to use it well._

_Discontent with laying down, Chouji sat up, Ino following suit. Folding his legs underneath him, he slipped his hands deftly under her posterior and slid her into his lap. She straddled him, taking care to keep her yukata closed, lest he think she was easy (she found underwear too constricting for bed and, therefore, was not wearing any). This lack of panties put Ino in an awkward position (both literally and figuratively). Other boys came and went, and she never took the time to care whether or not they thought she was modest, but this was different. It _mattered _to Ino that Chouji not think she was using him, because she honestly wanted to know how he felt about her. She hoped that this was the impression he was getting, because she was getting more aroused by the second, and her hands were contradicting her good intentions as they sought out the secrets of Chouji's body._

_As if responding to her curiosity, Chouji began to kiss her more passionately, his own hands roaming everywhere. The electric sensation she felt with every caress of Chouji's hands on her skin made her brain want to implode. As her fingers ran down his back, she felt a desire to teach him about her body, much in the same way she was learning about his. Taking up his hands in hers, she positioned them on her back and let him take care of the rest. She felt him work at the knots in her obi and, with a slight pause for permission (which Ino granted), he cast it aside and plunged his arms inside her yukata. Chouji ran his hands up Ino's thighs, taking time to massage her hips, circle her waist and whisper a quick "thank you" to any cosmic deities within earshot for her aversion to underwear._

_Ino marveled that Chouji's hands, calloused by battle, could be so gentle. She raked her fingernails gently over his scalp, eliciting goosebumps down his spine and a rumble from deep inside his chest. Her yukata slipped off her shoulders, exposing the soft, creamy skin beneath. His mouth left hers and she arched back, enjoying the feel of Chouji's lips on her neck, her eyes rolling back into her head. She felt his hands free her of her garment and a light gasp followed when he began to work his way south, relishing the feel of his tongue tracing spirals on her breast as his mouth came to close around her ni–_

Ino's eyes shot open as she sat bolt upright in bed, inhaling sharply. She clutched at her yukata, sighing with relief when she realized she was still dressed, although that realization did little to alleviate the intense embarrassment she was feeling at the moment. With one hand tearing off her sheets and the other reaching for her bath stuffs, she made a beeline for the door, taking care not to look at Chouji. He was still asleep, lightly snoring. And shirtless.

Damn him.

Damn her. More specifically, damn her weakness for bare-chested men. _Why is he shirtless anyway?_ Ino thought, disgruntled, as she headed for the baths. She had always been under the impression he wore pajamas with little piglets on them to bed, ever since she had seen him in them one Saturday morning fourteen years ago. Inoichi had gone to Chouza's house, daughter in tow, to borrow a plunger (since a four-year-old Ino had thought it funny to try and flush her father's hitai-ate down the toilet). She had seen Chouji then, reading comics and eating pork rinds, clad in piglet pajamas, and had never given thought to his growing out of them and into more manly attire – or lack thereof.

Until now.

Outside the veranda adjacent to their room, there was a paved walkway, flanked by a beautiful (albeit freezing) waterfall. A nice, relaxing hot spring waited for her at the end of the walk, ready to wash her troubles away.

She opted for the waterfall instead.

--

**Author's Note:** How are my "sexy" skills doing? Should I cut back?


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** There is no excuse for taking this long. My sincerest apologies. Please, enjoy!

--

**The Man Who Knew Too Much**

In all her years as a kunoichi, as a woman, – as _herself_ – Ino had never had trouble talking to a member of the opposite sex. She understood the intricacy of the male mind better than males themselves and made good use of her comprehension. In fact, she was so fluent with it that when missions called for seduction, she was usually the first candidate Tsunade-sama considered for the job.

Case in point: during puberty, while all the other girls were busy being tomboys or simpering behind smiles and giggles, Ino had half of Konoha's male population dogging her steps like lovesick puppies, just for her amusement (the other half were too old – or perverted – for her tastes). She felt she deserved to be admired and never considered it flattery if a boy expressed an interest in her. If anything, she made sure he fully understood how lucky _he_ was to have her attentions, and that he should delight in giving her whatever her heart desired – even if that included classified information. Ultimately, by the time Ino was a Chuunin, on top of being a spy, she had also earned a great reputation as a seductress, a title she enjoyed – at first. But as time passed, she grew to resent her fame as nothing other than a pretty face with a hidden agenda, since it served more to stereotype her as the town harlot instead of one of the Leaf's best kunoichi.

However, a new chapter of Ino's life had just opened up, and she was beginning to understand what it was to respect herself for her own talents, especially if she was considered to be the best in any category. After all, it was not much of a stereotype as much as it was a well-developed skill if nobody – not even Kurenai – had the success rate that she did in missions involving anyone with a Y chromosome.

Moreover, nobody would ever assume a seemingly-easy blond to be a lethal-minded assassin. As an added bonus, this stigma kept Ino out of other countries' bingo books, making her that much less suspicious – and that much more deadly. Therefore, she came to the conclusion that having a 'special' way with men could be just one of many positive assets that contributed to her as a person (instead of the one drawback that wrongfully defined her as a slut), and thereby decided that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her ability to converse with men comfortably.

_So what in god's name is _wrong_ with me today? _Ino thought, frustrated. In the three hours that had passed since they had left the ryokan that morning, Ino had only spoken twice to Chouji: once, to affirm if he had all of his belongings, and again to ask if he had to go to the bathroom. Flirting with a man had never been an issue, let alone speaking to him, and yet here she was, mute and wondering if this terrified feeling was what Hinata felt every time Naruto looked her in the eye. Chouji, noticing Ino's nervousness, tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yea?" she squeaked, and silently berated herself for sounding like a rodent. Clearing her throat, she answered again. "Yes, Chouji, how may I help you?" she answered calmly and almost kicked herself for sounding like a bank teller. _Pull it together, Blondie! _Ino screamed at herself mentally.

"Are you...okay?" Chouji asked.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" Ino responded. Without looking at him.

Chouji raised an eyebrow. "You've been pretty quiet today. Is there something on your mind?"

"Nope, nothing at all," Ino lied.

Chouji eyed her dubiously. "Yeah, right. I know what you're really thinking about," he said smartly.

The response startled Ino and her eyes shot up to meet his. "Really?" she asked, a knot growing in her stomach. _Does he know I sneaked a peek at him last night? _she wondered. _Or did I talk in my sleep? What did I say? Oh god, did I _moan_??_

"You're thinking about our mission's success," Chouji answered with a smile. Ino smiled back weakly. _Phew!_ Chouji interpreted her smile as an affirmation of his assumption and Ino let him believe he was right.

"But if you ask me, you should be gloating about the mission's success," Chouji continued. "It was _your _idea, after all. If I were you, I'd be penning the tale of my first S-rank before I forgot all the little details. Years from now, you'll want to remember everything you saw."

Ino looked up into Chouji's warm eyes, the knot in her stomach dissolving. _Dear, sweet Chouji. He always knows exactly what to say._ She smiled, the tension between them gone and continued walking and chatting quietly. Forty minutes into a conversation about Shikamaru and Temari's twisted (yet strangely erotic) relationship, both Ino and Chouji's eyes flicked almost-unnoticeably to the trees that were just ahead of them on the adjoining road leading west. Chattering animately so as not to arouse suspicion, Ino motioned with hand signals a communication code with Chouji.

_How many?_ she signed.

_I sense four_, Chouji answered, a little uncertain.

_I'll get the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right._

_Got it._

As they came to the fork in the road where they knew the attackers were waiting, Ino assessed the situation. Odds were two to one, but if they had been high-ranking ninja, they would have come upon them openly. As it was, they were probably rookie Chuunin who wanted the element of surprise – and had just lost it.

_Annoying little pipsqueaks,_ Ino thought, smugly.

They stepped out from behind the bushes, two on each side of the fork in the road, all of them Grass shinobi. Ino and Chouji fanned out, ready. The tall one to the right spoke first. "We know you had something to do with Kisho's death. But your pathetic attempts at peace will be rendered useless here. We want a war with Konoha, not an alliance. Your deaths" – he smiled – "will guarantee it."

Ino rolled her eyes. _Is it really necessary to monologue?_ she wondered. _Can't we just get this over with?_

As if in response, a shuriken whizzed by her cheek.

_Here we go. _The tall one charged Ino and she feinted to the left, keeping Chouji within range, just in case they should need each other.

Years of sparring practice had honed the teamwork skills of InoShikaChou to a precision comparable only to Shikamaru's shougi strategies. They worked like a finely-tuned machine: Chouji was the power forward, delivering his signature blows while Shikamaru was the dark horse, slipping in under the distraction of his best friend's brute strength and turning the fight to their advantage. Ino was the trump card, incapacitating anyone that got around Shikamaru's battlefield manipulation before they became too much of a problem.

As a three-man team, they were nigh unstoppable. But this being a two-man cell, Ino had to keep Chouji close to make up for the missing teammate and the only way she could do that was by keeping her back to him. Ino did not like having Chouji out of her sightline, but she was keeping tabs on his chakra signature and as long as there was not too little of it being released – a sign of decreased power and therefore, a cry for help – there was nothing to worry about.

Ino loosed two kunai as the tall one aimed six shuriken to her right, trying to get her to move to the left far enough for the red-haired ninja behind him to run forward and plant an exploding tag in front of her. _Seriously, they _deserve_ to get their asses handed to them if they're going to resort to such low-level skills,_ she thought.

Instead of moving further to the left, she dropped unexpectedly to the ground and shot a third kunai out in front of her, severing the tall shinobi's Achilles tendon. Rolling to the right, she sent three shuriken in the direction of the red-haired kunoichi before she could place the tag on the floor. In an attempt to avoid the shuriken, the ninja side-stepped to her right and lost a stride forward. In the split-second when the kunoichi was leaning to the right and the tall shinobi lost his footing, Ino rolled onto her stomach, formed the appropriate hand seals, aimed and broke into the other woman's brain stem.

Using her chakra to depolarize the axon membrane in a neuron leading out from her brain stem, she sent an electrical impulse through the kunoichi's spinal cord and innervated the motor neurons leading to her arm, thus controlling the kunoichi's left arm muscles. Before she knew what was happening, the kunoichi's arm shot forward, tag in hand and slapped it onto the shinobi's right shoulder.

The shinobi, off-balance due to his now-useless foot, was unable to reach around fast enough to take it off. Ino rolled away and onto her feet as the tag detonated and the red-haired ninja was sent flying to the left as her partner had his arm and half his torso blown off. Both women shut their eyes as bits of flesh and skin splattered across their faces.

Ino wiped a sliver of bone off her cheek and turned to face her opponent, which put Chouji back in her line of sight. A blue-haired ninja lay dead at his feet and the other shinobi looked to be the same way soon. It looked as though the former had managed a swipe with a wakizashi before he died, judging by the (harmless) red line Chouji was sporting down his chest.

It spoke well of the enemy to have been able to get past Chouji's defenses, if even for a second, but Ino had noticed none of that. Since this was an undercover mission, Chouji had not worn his armor and came away clad only in a hakama and haori, the latter of which had been stripped off of him when the blue-haired ninja scored that lucky swing, leaving Chouji naked – and gorgeous – from the waist up.

She only had a moment to gawk at him before the Grass-nin landed a lucky punch of her own and sent Ino face-first into a tree.

Ignoring the sting of bark against her temple, Ino looked up to see surprise in the Grass kunoichi's face at having actually landed a hit and mentally chastised herself for having allowed herself get so distracted during a battle. _No surprise, really, _Ino thought, well aware of her weakness for a shirtless man – and Chouji more so.

Irritated, she got up, making a mental note to threaten Chouji with bodily harm should he go on another mission without his armor. This was neither the time nor the place for hormones and another distraction like that could get her killed, so she continued to keep her back to Chouji and proceeded to face off with her opponent, who seemed to have gotten over the shock of a successful hit and was now preparing to attack again.

"You alright, Ino?" Chouji asked from behind, one babaika-enlarged hand crushing the life out of his enemy.

"Never better," Ino answered sweetly.

_Too bad that's not the case with you_, she thought at her opponent. In spite of the momentary lapse in judgement (and subsequent injury), Ino had kept her technique employed, waiting for the right time to turn this ninja's body against her. The red-haired kunoichi took a fighting stance and Ino took action. She began slow, working up from the brain stem into the medulla oblongata, up the vestibulochochlear nerve and out to the cochlea in the ear. Once there, she began to depolarize the hair cells that served to sense sound waves.

The Grass-nin did not notice at first, so intent was she to finish the fight. But as Ino increased the frequency of the nerve impulses, the red-haired kunoichi began to flinch at the increasing pitch that only she was aware of. Faster and faster came the impulses, higher and higher the frequency, until the ninja dropped to her knees screaming, clutching her bleeding ears and writhing in pain.

Ino sighed and walked towards the girl, feeling almost sorry for her. As an act of mercy, she gave her a swift release with a kunai to the heart. She was glad the treaty had been made and hoped the Kusakage would have the sense not to send any more ninja for them to put to death. Killing was never pleasant, however good Ino was at it. She turned to face Chouji, who had just wrapped up his own battle and was walking towards her. She smiled at him and opened her mouth to congratulate him on his successful outcome.

She never got the chance to. The ninja Chouji had missed sensing earlier materialized out of thin air, coming towards him at an ungodly speed, wielding a giant shield. Ino could only watch helplessly as Chouji – _her _Chouji, a man she had come to know as indestructable, even without armor – was ambushed, pounded and flung like a rag doll.

The world suddenly became very slow. All movement and sound was like being underwater – and Ino was drowning. She watched as Chouji's body bounced off a stray boulder and came to land ungracefully in the dust, rolling the last couple of yards before coming to a stop. She heard screams and wondered if they were her own. Her eyes rolled back to the shinobi still clutching the shield and through the fog of memory, a gentle voice came to mind.

"_Years from now, you'll want to remember everything you saw."_

But when Shikamaru asked her about it the following year, all she remembered seeing was...

...**red**.

--

**Author's Note: **This isn't the final entry (and I don't know how many are left, so I'll stop pretending like I do), but the story_ is_ almost over – this just seemed like a good place to mark a chapter. I will say this, though: I won't keep you waiting much longer. But if you would be so kind as to let me know how I'm doing. The next chapter is going to be bloodier, so please let me know if the rating should go up.


End file.
